Electrically controlled dispensing valve and counter



J. 0. PRICE ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE AND COUNTER Dec,119, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 5, 1948 James 0; Price INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY 7 /W////// V////////////////////fi/! Dec 19, 1950 J. o. P RICE2, 3

ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE AND COUNTER Filed April 5, 19483 Sheets-Sheet 2 James 0. Prlcg INVENTOR ATTORNEY Dec. 19, 19502,534,987

J. O. PRICE ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE AND COUNTER FiledApril 5, 1948 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 W couN CHUTE W 6' P05 SOURCE J5 I THERMOCONTROL II Z? REF. MOTOR REF. TANK 4\ A COUNTER SOLENOID CONTROLLED 3fiDISPENSOR EMPTY so. usm' cuP DISPINCER J W MOTOR M76,

James a price IN V EN TOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 19, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRICAILY CONTROLLED DISPENSING VALVE AND COUNTER 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to beverage vending machines and it hasparticular reference to a coin operated machine for vending beverage incups.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine forvending a pre-mixed refrigerated beverage in expendable paper cups, andby virtue of the provision for dispensing the beverage already chargedwith CO2 gas, the necessity for carbonating water and mixing the samewith a flavoring syrup, is obviated. By so doing, many objectionablecharacteristics present in machines wherein the water content of thebeverage is carbonated are eliminated, among which are the inability tomaintain consistency of flavor due to variation in the chemicalproperties of the water in different localities; the requirement formaintenance of uniform pressure control of syrup, water and carbondioxide gas; the necessity of providing a mixing valve for theseingredients. Moreover, the present invention seeks to minimize the costof producing and servicing a machine for vending beverage in cups and atthe same time simplify such servicing by enabling the operator toreplace depleted beverage-tanks with full tanks which have been chargedat a beverage plant under sanitary conditions, thus insuring theconsumer of a healthful beverage of uniform flavor and temperature.

Another object of the'invention is to provide a machine for vendingbeverage in cups which includes one or more beverage tanks in which ismaintained a constant and predetermined pressure of carbon dioxide gasfrom a C02 drum, which forces the beverage from a tank through a coilin'heat exchange relationship with the expansion coil of a refrigeratingunit and thence through a heat insulated line to a solenoid controlledfaucet. By virtue of a conventional cup dispensing apparatus, whoseelectrical system is energized by the insertion of a coin into themachine, a paper cup is deposited in a position to receive beverage fromthe faucet when opened by its solenoid, the quantity of the beveragebeing dispensed being determined by a rotary cam effective to actuate aswitch for opening and closing the circuit to the solenoid through arectifier.

Broadly, the invention seeks to provide a machine of the type set forthwhich is simple and economical by comparison and because of itssimplicity of design and assembly, is not as likely to become fouled orrendered inoperative by failure on the part of its mechanism as the morecomplex vending machines which are dependent upon municipal watersources and pressure for the principal ingredient of their beverage andupon water carbonators which at their best lack the facility tothoroughly combine the CO2 gas and water as it is accomplished by abottling plant to render the mixture uniformly palatable in a flavoredbeverage.-

.E'ames 0. Price, Dallas, Tex.

Application April 5, 1948, Serial No. 18,910

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention has further referenceto certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as thedescription proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawingswherein:

Figure 1 is a front perspective View of the preferred form of cabinetadapted to house the invention.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of an assembly of parts comprising aportion of the cup dispenser, rectifier, cup receiving chamber, beveragedispending head and drink counter.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view of the beverage dispensing headpartly in section, showing the valve, operating solenoid and counter.

Figure 4 is a schematic View of the CO2 gas drum, beverage tanks, heatexchanger and beverage dispensing head.

Figure 5 is a front perspective view of the cabinet with the door opento reveal the vending equipment.

Figure 6 is a wiring diagram.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view of the heat exchanger, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary top perspective View of the heat exchanger.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawings, referenceis primarily made to Figures 1 and 5 wherein numeral m denotes a cabinetof any suitable exterior design and in the door ll thereof is an openinghaving a glass closure l2, hingedly or slidably mounted. Affixed to theinner surface of the door H to em.- brace the said opening is anenclosure serving as a receptable I3 for paper cups Is, one of which isshown in dotted lines in Figure 5 in a position to receive beverage andwhich is made accessible by opening the small door !2, which, whenclosed, prohibits entrance of dust and other foreign matter into thereceptacle [3, including insects which may be attracted by the syrup.

Separated from the upper section of the cabinet by a transversepartition i5 is a lower compartment in which is installed arefrigerating mechanism It of conventional manufacture. Adjacent thismechanism is a receptacle H, which receives overflow or drainage fromthe cup receptacle [3 through drain pipe [8, mounted on the door H andextending from the bottom of receptacle l3 downward to the receptacle Hand entering the same when the door I! is closed.

Resting on the partition or platform I5 is a carbon dioxide gas tank l9;two identical beverage drums 2D and H and a heat exchanger 22. One ormore beverage drums or tanks may be used, which determines the capacityof the machine. The heat exchanger 22 consists of a molded block ofaluminum in which is embedded both the coil 23 of the beverage line 24and the evaporator coil 24a of the line 25, communicating with therefrigerating unit It, in heat exchange relationship, in order tomaintain low temperature of the beverage flowing through line 24 andcoil 23.

Within the molded metal block which is in the jacket of the heatexchanger 22 is a tank T into which is discharged the beverage through agoose-neck 25a and regulating valve 26, after passing through coil 23embedded in the metal jacket of the heat exchanger. The beverage underCO2 gas pressure in line 21' is transferred from tank 20 to tank 2|through connecting line 28 to replace beverage drawn from tank 2|through line 24, coil 23 and the insulated dispensing line 29, whichlatter connects the tank T of the heat exchanger and faucet 38 through adispensing head 3|.

If the beverage were to be permitted to flow directly from the storagetanks 23 and 2| to the faucet, undue ebullience would occur at thefaucet, due to uncontrolled and excessive gas pressure. Instead, theinvention provides that the beverage be first discharged into the coolertank T through the pressure regulator 22-3 which has the efiect not onlyto reduce the pressure on the beverage but also serves as a means forclosing entirely the flow of beverage to the faucet when this becomesnecessary or desirable. Thus, under the modified pressure of gas in thetank T, the beverage continues to the faucet 39 through the insulatedline 29 and delivery head 3|.

Since the beverage storage tanks 2i! and 2| are charged with gas at aloading plant, they contain adequate pressure to exhaust them o'beverage without the added pressure of the CO: tank l9. However, sincethe CO2 gas content of the beverage tends to separate from the latterunless replenished the tank IE is provided for this purpose andmaintains uniform carbonizetion of the beverage at all times.

The beverage line 29 which transports beverage from the cooler 22 entersthe lower end of a delivery head 3| which is preferably made oftransparent plastic material of low heat conductivity, in which isdisposed a coil spring 32 (Fig. 3) the latter bearing against a ballvalve 33, holding the same against a seat 54, thus restraining beverageagainst entering the faucet 3G. The spring 32, ball 33 and also a stem35 entering the member 3| axially from the top thereof are all fashionedfrom stainless steel or other material which will be unaffected by thebeverage. The stem 35 is adapted to actuate an arm 36 of a conventionalcounter 3'! each time the valve 33 is displaced to record the number ofdrinks dispensed.

At the top of the delivery head 3| is arranged a solenoid 38 which, uponbeing energized, in a manner to be presently explained, exerts adownward thrust on the ball valve 33, displacing the same for a durationsufficient to release a predetermined quantity of beverage through thefaucet 30 into a waiting cup It. The solenoid 38 and delivery head 3|are supported from a pla form 39 by a depending frame 46, the platformbeing secured to the inside of the cabinet door above the cup receptaclel3.

The cup dispensing unit, being of conventional design, a detaileddescription thereof is deemed unnecessary, it being. consideredsufficient to point out that the dispenser consists of a radial group ofvertical cup magazines 4| (Fig. 5') which are collectively rotated bymeans ofan electric motor 42 (Fig. 6) to align afull magazine 4| with achute 43- When the; preceding gas in the 4 magazine is depleted. Acircular gear 44 imparts rotation to the magazine assembly when actuatedby the motor 42.

In operation, a coin is deposited into the coin chute 45 (Fig. 6) withwhich is associated a conventional slug rejector represented by numeral45a. The coin actuates a switch 46 to close the circuit through a relay41 to a motor 48 to set in motion a metering cam 49, the latter closinga switch 50 to energize the solenoid 38 of.the delivery head 3|.

Immediately preceding energization of the delivery head solenoid 38, acup switch 5| (Fig. 6) is actuated to release a cup Id from an activemagazine 4|, permitting the cup to drop into an upright position in thereceptacle I3 to receive beverage when it emerges from the faucet 30upon energization of solenoid 38 as explained.

When the cam 49 has completed its cycle of operation, the position ofswitch 55 will be reversed, deenergizing the solenoid 38 to close thevalve 33 and suspend flow of beverage from the faucet 30.

As beverage is drawn from the cooler tank T, it is replaced by beveragefrom the tank 2| and thence from tank 20. When one or both tanks havebeen emptied, snap connector valves 52 (Fig. 5) which join the fluidlines 23, 2'! and 23 to their respective tanks enable an attendant tospeedily exchange full for empty tanks without loosing any of the CO2gas from the system. A pressure gauge 53 (Fig. 5) is provided toindicate pressure of gas in the cooler tank T.

When all of the cups have been dispensed from the magazines 4|, an emptysign lamp 54 is illuminated through a switch 55 (Fig. 6). This switchbecomes operative through a cup switch 55' which, in turn, is actuatedwhen the last cup of the last magazine 4| is dropped into position inthe receptacle l3, to open the slug rejector switch 55a, which is sodesigned that the dcposited coin is returned. A- similar arrangement,not shown, provides for illumination of the empty signal lamp 54 whenthe beverage tanks 26 and 2| are depleted.

Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of somemodification and such modification as may be construed to fall withinthe scope and meaning of the appended claim is also considered to bewithin the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

In a drink vending machine, a beverage delivery head comprising atubularmember com posed of transparent material of low heat conductivity havinga check valve therein, a faucet connected with said member above saidvalve, a spring below said valve normally seating the same, a solenoidabove said valve to open the same against the resistance of said spring,a stem reciprocaoly arranged in said tubular member and actuated also bysaid solenoid and a counter above said solenoid actuated by said stem tocompute the drinks vended by said machine.

JAMES 0. PRICE,

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number

